15 of the best apps to engage students outside the classroom

Learning shouldn’t stop when students leave for summer vacation. Rather, this extended break from the classroom is the perfect time to introduce kids to a variety of mobile apps that can continuously promote creativity and critical thinking. From kindergarten to grade 12, the vast assortment of digital offerings can meet any student’s interests, all while providing valuable lessons that will appropriately challenge each user. Here are a few great options for rainy days, road trips or any time in between.

Grades K-5: (in no particular order)

Osmo introduces children to hands-on play through the iPad. With its offerings, like Newton, Masterpiece and Coding, kids use physical manipulation to navigate a variety of digital activities. Once they master one skill, they can move on to more challenging options.…Read More

New: 10 of the best Apple and Android apps for education in 2014

These recent apps reveal the ever-developing needs of teachers and their technology-savvy students

apps-best-2014Last year we presented “10 of the best Apple apps for education in 2013,” which highlighted some of the best apps for mobile technology. However, with new upgrades in device capability, the emphasis on teacher proficiency, and implementing practical apps rather than “fun” apps with no real value, we’ve chosen a new list of the best Apple- and Android-based education apps for 2014.

This year’s list includes some of the newest (updated or released either late 2013 or January 2014) and most highly rated apps, both by educators and by parents, and features a range that spans from iPad tutorials for teachers to a safe browser for students, and from one of the best graphing calculator apps available to a classroom management app for students’ online portfolios.

Best of all? Many are free!…Read More